Money Tips Network

Your First Rental Property

It's official: Kim and I have moved from Portland to Corvallis, Oregon. We closed on our home — a 1964 daylight ranch with fully converted basement — at the end of August, and we've spent the past six weeks moving and unpacking. I thought I'd have time to post the gory details of our purchase, but obviously that hasn't happened. We've been too busy!

The short version is this: After offering $128,000 over asking on our dream home (and still losing out to a cash offer), we came close to joining in another bidding war on a similar house. But we didn't. While other folks were bidding up a place down the street from $589,000 to $707,000, we snuck into a home we liked better for $680,000 — just $5000 over asking. We got lucky.

Replace an expensive habit with one that can pay you

Photo credit Emiliano Vittoriosi via Unsplash

Sometimes you get a message that nearly brings you to tears.

State governments make a mint on lotteries. For all but a very lucky few, playing the lottery is a money-loser. And the more you play, the more likely you are to lose.

There is some entertainment value in them like just about anything. It gives a dopamine burst to play that can get addictive. (But then again, so do notifications on your phone.)

Back to Basics: Little money-saving things add up!

(This was originally posted on November 2, 2008, and has been updated.)

Don't wait until times get tough to practice frugal living! Check out these little money-saving things that you can do, right now …

I'll admit that when I get a little bit of breathing room in our budget, I get lazy.  I'll go out with friends to lunch, or head to the vending machine for a snack.  I don't plan finances as much as I should.  And it costs me more than if I did plan and went the cheaper route.

Referral income: A milestone to work towards

One of my miniature income streams hit a milestone. Aim for this for passive referral income …

One advantage of having a lot of little income streams is that it reduces dependence on a single income stream, like a job. Have many little bosses instead of just one big one.

Any income outside of “normal working hours” brings you closer toward financial independence, and immediately improves your financial posture.

Direct income — money you earn for doing something — pays you once but building up indirect, automated income streams pay you over and over again. (Work towards these as you can, because we all are given only 24 hours each day.)

Making money online can be both direct and indirect

A lot of get-paid-to (GPT) sites will pay you for your direct effort. Things like watching videos, doing surveys, doing other tasks, signing up for trials, searching the web, and so forth.

Bringing Simplicity to Cash Rewards

Link for teaser title: 

https://www.wisebread.com/bringing-simplicity-to-cash-rewards

How Bank of America created a new card to help consumers optimize spending with ease.

How we chose our travel rewards credit card

We recently got a travel rewards credit card. Here's the thought process we went through …

If you pay off your credit card balance every month in full, it makes perfect sense to get some kind of rewards credit card. Using a rewards credit card, for the most part, results in an interest-free loan for a few weeks, plus a little bit back for the privilege.

The kind of rewards credit card that makes the most sense depends on a number of things, particularly what activities you enjoy, and where you shop.

We recently signed up for a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa card, which we'll use for most of our purchases for a bit instead of our beloved Chase Sapphire (also a rewards card).

I'll explain our thought process.

5 Ways to Save Big on Your Next Vacation

Link for teaser title: 

https://www.wisebread.com/save-big-next-vacation

With a little preparation, you can enjoy some serious savings on travel.

Smart and Financially Rewarding Back-to-School Shopping

Link for teaser title: 

https://www.wisebread.com/smart-back-to-school-shopping

To help save on back-to-school costs, here are 4 simple tips to maximize financial rewards when...

We offered to buy a home for $128,000 over list — but it wasn’t enough!

Sunday evening, Kim and I made an offer on a house. The Greenwood Place (as we'll call it) was listed at $649,000. We offered $677,777 escalating to $777,777; no repairs required; and a $50,000 appraisal gap waiver.

Our offer was not accepted.

That's right: Two months after selling our home — and three months after beginning to search for the next place — Kim and I have waded back into this crazy housing market. We're not sure how long this process will last (or what the outcome will be) but we're prepared to be searching for many weeks, if not months.

Both our mortgage broker (Michael S.) and our real-estate agent (Michael K.) tell us we're doing things exactly right for this market.

Trinary serial numbers: What are they worth?

Some of the most popular posts on this website lately have been about currency — particularly fancy serial numbers and errors.

I continue to get a lot of questions through email and on the Facebook group about what kinds of bills are worth more than face value.

This post concentrates on a kind of serial number that's common enough that more experienced collectors probably wouldn't save them. Nonetheless, there is a good market for them on eBay.

Trinary serial numbers for the new collector

More experienced collectors oftentimes say that these kinds of bills are not fancy or that they’re “spenders,” meaning that their only value is their face value.

How to Reduce Food Waste with Science

Use the science-backed '3+1 Approach' to reduce food waste by 30% and save hundreds per year. The power of this evidence-based program is its simplicity, and taking small steps today can create lasting sustainable habits.

The post How to Reduce Food Waste with Science appeared first on Squawkfox.

How to Prevent Food Waste (and save $1,000 per year)

Prevent food waste and save up to $1,000 per year by trying the '3+1 Approach' and adding one 'Use-Up Day' to your weekly meal plan. This simple science-backed strategy cuts household food waste by up to 30%.

The post How to Prevent Food Waste (and save $1,000 per year) appeared first on Squawkfox.

A short resignation letter example that gets the job done

Write a classy resignation letter in just three sentences! I show you how with a resignation letter example download AND a resignation email message example if you WFH.

The post A short resignation letter example that gets the job done appeared first on Cash and Kerry.

5 Ways to Adjust Your Credit Card Strategy as Summer Spending Ramps Up

Link for teaser title: 

https://www.wisebread.com/summer-credit-card-changes

Taking a moment to review your credit card strategy can make it all the more rewarding.

Series I savings bonds: A safe investment with a high return

I get a lot of questions about money. These questions tend to vary based on the asker and her needs, but there's one question I get more often than any other: “What's a safe investment with a high return?”

For the past decade or so, I've had no answer to this question. Savings accounts and certificates of deposit are safe, sure, but they're no longer attractive investments. Since the Great Recession of 2008/2009, interest rates have remained shockingly low. This is by design. The government doesn't want you parking your money in a savings account. They want that money out circulating in the economy.

Over the long term, the stock market offers excellent returns. But when people are asking for “safe” investments, they're wanting avoid short-term volatility, which means stocks are out of the question. (And stuff like Bitcoin and precious metals are even more out of the question!)

How I proved timely tax filing

Needing to prove that you filed your taxes on time? Here's how I showed timely filing …

  • If you mail your taxes, send them Certified Mail, and keep your receipts.
  • You'll need these receipts to prove timely filing, and the best thing to do is fax them when you call.

I've talked a number of times about my phone interactions with the IRS.

I've called them to ask questions and to discuss penalties assessed against our businesses.